Greene King adds two craft beers to portfolio

Hazy Day, which is described as a fruity IPA (4.3% ABV), and Prior Life All Day IPA (3.4% ABV), follow the launch of Greene King’s craft portfolio in 2022, with Level Head and Flint Eye.

Greene King said Hazy Day is a “smooth, fruity hazy IPA, with orange, citrus and tropical notes” and added the inspiration for the name dates back to the 16th century in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, for those who were convicted of minor crimes were sentenced to a day in the pillories.

‘Unlawfully delicious’

“With clouded judgement and a hazy sense of morality, locals would come to heckle, goad and even throw things at the miscreants,” Greene King said. “Hazy Day is an unlawfully delicious beer packed with tropical flavours.”

Meanwhile, Prior Life is claimed to be an easy-drinking “All Day IPA” with “mellow tropical notes and a citrus aroma”.

The brewer added: “This beer is a tribute to the original Bury St Edmunds master brewers, the Benedictine monks, whose ghosts are said to still walk the abbey today. Prior Life is as divinely fruity as the low-strength beer the monks would drink litres of daily, as it was safer than water at the time.”

Aiming to expand its craft portfolio, Greene King observed the emerging appeal in Hazy IPAs over the past few years and said “with its contrast from the clear and bitter characteristics traditionally associated with IPAs, it isn’t a surprise why the smoother, juicier style has gained attention”.

Great response

Greene King managing director Matt Starbuck at said: “We launched our craft portfolio just under two years ago and we have seen a great response to the beers, so naturally we wanted to create even more tasty craft beers for our consumers to explore.

“Taking insight from consumer trends we worked with our brewers to craft two delicious beers with exciting stories to tell and we are proud of the work that has gone in to creating Hazy Day and Prior Life.”

Hazy Day will launch into 45 Greene King pubs this month and Prior Life will start to be seen in venues by summer.